From horse races to growing up Muslim in rural Washington to the surprising origins of a mall-food mainstay, these were our most popular long-form articles of 2017.

It’s called the World Famous Suicide Race, a harrowing horseback contest between Native American riders in Washington’s most infamous rodeo. This year, one teenager has four days to defend a way of life and keep a family legacy alive. By Allison Williams

The Tunnel Creek avalanche took the lives of three world-class skiers and was immortalized in a Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times story. Five years later, the survivors, friends, and family members reflect on what was lost that day. By Eva Holland

Before hackers tried to sway the 2016 election or word spread that our new president might be compromised, a peculiar couple resided on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Have we really taken stock of the spies who lived among us? By James Ross Gardner

Three decades after its creation in Seattle, the cinnamon roll purveyor maintains a novel sway over our appetites and, thanks to a certain flamboyant, corrupt attorney, some unexpected TV fame. By Allecia Vermillion